Convertible building



2 Sheets-Sheet l F. J. KEPPLER CONVERTIBLE BU1LDING Filed Aug. 25

non...

in yer/faz Patented June 24, 1924.

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FRED J; KEEP-LER, OIFr BUFFALO, INEW'YORK.` y

n CDNVERTIBLE BUIJDING;

.implicationmeaAugifstzs, 1920. serial No. 405,858.

citizen of the United States;v residing" in' Nen'7 York, have invented new* and`v us'efirll Irriprove'rnentsfin- Convertible" Buildings", of which rthe( following' is a" speci'ctinl This invention" relates to" a* convertible buildingr of the 'generell type' shown' in n'iy of a building" and also delleehalo'ly',c iji'neotl- 1 ingporteble" walls orf'prt-ition's with seid posts, so thatthe space Within thebui'lding may be readily subdivided into cornpa'rtmentsfo'f various" fornsf, siz'esan'd nunrb'ers as occasion 1""'eqi'ii1'e` Figurelis ahoriznt-lrl setion offrn'yin# vention trken on vthe o'orre"spondinglIy nurnr ber'ed lin'elin '3.' Figure Q'i'szrx'rertiel setion talenoi lineZi-LQI, in'Fig 11 Fig'- ure 3 isa Yseetioneleleifztion on" a reduced scale." showing "erk complete' post `assembled with the Hoor' and keeilingfl' Figure" lf is; a CFS'SSC t/aJlPl- OTl lil'' 4 4 iii Figi 2i Figure 5v is a fragmentry" verticalI seetion ofa modified orrno'f the'jo'int be't-'We'ngthe posi: eudthe eeilingqror; Figure elisa; horizonte teken on line (5f-6, Fig. 5.

section Figure' 7*" is a fragments-ry', verticali section Y partitions ll'engeg-ingtheir upper `and lower and Vconnected at their vertical edges Witlr the posti Evohof-theposts 7 is'preferablyf hollow Vand'lres it'sfbo'dy' Constructed of'wood" Which' letterE is'squzt're in crossfsection and" reduced endprovide'd with' metal: caps `80' similar to those described' in- Iny pending" applieationNo. 388,418,1l'ed`May 22, 1920. Betweenr the upper and lower ends of the post' arev arranged couplings whereby tlie p'o'st is removably secured to the' support forine'd by the ceiling and floor, and"- the' partitions are also Vsupported relatively to' 4thepests:

Ea'eh ofthe ceiling posteo'u-plings com# prises a* hollow Cup'slrapefd body square in .shape and of't the-saine dimensions-Ras the outside dimension ofthe post thereby allowingthe 'side'sof the coupling' rndposti tobe in' the sarne plane when' afs'sernbled The inner sideo'r socketv Sl ofthe' Couplingvv 8' is also square inr sh'ape'V and of a" dirnensio'n suitable to takethe reduced end of the eep 80',' the=fsoeliet to here enouglrdepthto allow .enough Clearance' betrfe'en the' top oft-lie Cepvv and the bottom of` the 'socket for the 'purpose' of: seeur'ingntight'ht between the shoulder of the op and thev wall of the coupling. This Coupling is fastened to' thev eeiling'by Ineens-bf screws 82, shoWn'in Fig. 2(-

Tlie floorfposteoupling '9 Zcomprises zu? hol# 10W bodyy square in" eross s'eetion and of the" lower` 10; The' coupling 9YA is provided with Y a Hnge' 9i for' the'purp'ose of' securing goed footing! 'and f rrfi'pA o'n'-T theAI oor"Wlien the" end"o'f"the" post, t'h'ereby'substantilly secur- A ingj the post inpo'sit-ion:

Eaie'h of! the partitionswzillsor-fpanels 1l isprovided at its lower-*Corners With a recess 110 Whiel'rinit-hel assembled position' 'of-the catch 13.

parts receives the flange 91 on one of the lower coupling bodies so as to form a practically closed joint therewith and effect a complete separation of the compartments or rooms within the building on opposite sides of the partitionj In order to hold the partitions in their upright positions, they are interlocked with each of the posts by lmeans which may be variously constructed but which in the form shown in the drawing are constructed as follows:

15 represents a plurality of arms or rods connected to a centering piece 16 by means of screw joints thereby forming a cross shaped guide. On the outer end of each arm is mounted a retaining ball or spherical catch 13 which is adapted to move horizontally upon the guide or arm 15 through a hole 22 in the 'ball and normally project with its spherical front side beyond the front side of the post. This catch is held in its outer position by means of a spring 17 one end of which is guided by and secured to the ycentering piece 16 while its other end is guided by and secured to the guide sleeve 131 within the retaining ball or spherical The latter is also provided with an external flange 130 at its rear or inner end which is adapted to engage the inner side of the post and prevent the catch from moving outward too far. 141 represents a plurality of guiding and wearing plates for the purpose of preventing theftlange 180 from destroying the wood post.

21 represents a plurality of holes in the sides of the post for the purpose of pro-v viding sockets or pockets which receive the retaining balls or spherical catches.

In the vertical edges of each partition holes 20 are provided to receive metal sockets 1 2 which are adapted tol receive the front ends of the catches 13 and hold the j partitions or walls in place. T

In the operation of dividing the space between the ceiling and floor into compart- `ments, acoupling body is first placed on the floor in line with each of the coupling` bodies which is secured to the ceiling and between which and the respective ioor coupling body a post is to be erected. A post .is now placed vertically in line with the ,sockets of a pair of ceiling` and floor coupling bodies and then the followers 10 in the sockets thereof are turned by inserting a tool in one opening after another in the side of the follower and moving the tool circunr ferentially until the opposite end of the post is firmly gripped between the. lupper socket 8 and the lower follower 1() and securely held in place. A partition is now placed in an upright position and nio-vedvlaterally -so that the cat-ches `on the adjacent posts engage with the sockets or seats 12 of the partition and hold theysame'in place. To

' sides of each catch and each passing through a slot 190 formed partly in the face of the socket 12 in which the catch seat is formed land partly in the adjacent portion of the wall. By this means a party occupying a room on one side of a partition cannot unfasten the, partition and gain access to the room on the opposite side of the partition, thereby preventing intrusion and ensuring privacy and safety of the occupant of the respective rooms.

Instead of reducing the upper end of the post as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the Jfull diameter of the same may be retained to the end thereof by. providing the end of the post with an internal socket 83 which receives a coupling` head 84; secured to the ceiling 6. If desired the several wearing plates may be constructed in one piece or band so as to practically form a square lining for the.

post, as shown at 140 in Figs. 7 and'8, which lining is secured to thesections of the post and holds the same together and is providedk it easy to either put up the partitions or take them down, as desired.

Moreover, this construction permits of readily opening up the entire space between the ceiling and tloor when the same is desired for dancing or other purposes, and it also permits this space to be quickly subdivided into separate rooms thus rendering the same particularly suitable for camping or outdoor life3 also for housing purposes of every description.

I claim as my invention:

1. A convertible building having a support.y a partition. and means for detachably connecting said partition and support comprising a hollow post, catches mounted on the post and engaging with said partition, means for guiding said catches comprising a center piece arranged within the post and provided with a plurality of arms on each of which one of said catches is adapted to slide and means on the partition for receiving connecting said partition and support oomprising a hollow post, catches mounted on the post and engaging with said partition,

means for guiding said catches comprising a center piece arranged Within the post and provided With a plurality of arms on each of which one of said catches is adapted to slide, and a spring interposed between eaoli of the catches and said center piece.

FRED J. KEPPLER. 

